Last Thursday California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law the California Coolong Act (Senate Bill 2013), which will adopt strict HFC reduction measures and create an incentive program for natural refrigerant systems.

Brown signed the bill – along with three other environmental bills limiting air pollution that harms public health and fuels global warming – during the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco. All of the bills were authored by Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens).

The California Cooling Act, passed by the legislature on August 30, preserves Obama Administration targets for removing HFCs after a federal court struck them down last year. It alsodirects the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to establish the incentive program to increase adoption of replacement technologies in the supermarket and industrial sectors by overcoming the first-cost hurdle.

Funding for SB 1013's incentive program must still be allocated by the legislature so that CARB can form the program and initiate a stakeholder process to shape its scope and guidelines.

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If a business builds a new supermarket, it can access clean-air funds to help pay the cost of more efficient refrigeration."– California State Senator Ricardo Lara.

“Governor Brown’s signing of the California Cooling Act will have positive impacts far beyond California by encouraging the global supply chain to adopt less-polluting and more energy-efficient cooling technologies,” said Helena Molin Valdés, head of the U.N. Environment-hosted Climate and Clean Air Coalition. “This bill will drive innovation, is good for business, and helps protect our planet. California is becoming a world champion in the super pollutant field.”

“If a business builds a new supermarket, it can access clean-air funds to help pay the cost of more efficient refrigeration,” said Lara.